Hello Dolly
by Matt Mullenweg · Uncategorized
Also makes 17 other plugins · 501.9K+ installs across the portfolio →
This is not just a plugin, it symbolizes the hope and enthusiasm of an entire generation summed up in two words sung most famously by Louis Armstrong.
Try it live opens a temporary test site in your browser, which can take about 20 seconds to load. Plugins that rely on outside services or a full server may not work completely there.
Health
B 72/100
Stale
Active installs
500K+
≈580K estimated
Momentum
+33%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Listing tuning scores 20/100. Only 0 tags — use the full 5 relevant tags so search matches more queries.
Install conversion
How it's measured →3.2%
of downloads still active
At least 500K of 15.8M lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,782 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Uncategorized plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
Details
Directory ranking optimization
How it's scored →How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.
Room to improve
Most to gain: Listing tuning
Updated 375 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 6.9.11; the current branch is 7.1
4.4★ over 177 reviews, weighted for review count to 4.3★
0 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Only 0 tags — use the full 5 relevant tags so search matches more queries.
Get the full rank-higher report →Search visibility
How it's tracked →Directory searches this plugin turns up in, and which way each one is moving. WordPress.org publishes no history of search positions, so this starts the day we first tracked a keyword and never backfills.
30
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.6
Velocity
places per keyword, 22d
0%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 22d
-0.6
Acceleration
recent half vs earlier
wp.org is where the directory puts the plugin for that search. On merit is where it would sit if results were ranked on rating, support and updates, without the install boost. The last column is how far the wp.org position moved, from our first reading in the last 90 days to the latest.
| Keyword | wp.org | On merit | wp.org move, 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| hello | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| hello dolly | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| dolly | #1 | #1 | 0 |
9 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 3 listed. 6 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words).
What to do about it
- Already on top for “hello dolly”. #1 without listing it. A tag would change little there; your slots are better spent on a search you don't yet win.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,491 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 135.2K · peaks are release surges
Directory rank
wp.org popularity rank over time · lower is better
Rating trend
Star average over time · dips mark rough releases
Health trend
Composite health score, snapshotted daily
Update activity
How busy the existing users are, measured as downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites. A spike means a new release everyone's pulling; a long, slow decline means an aging user base that updates less.
Release cadence
No release in a yearHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
0
releases in the last 12 months
1.0y ago
latest release · v1.7.2 · 24 Oct 2025
3
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 93% run the current release. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.
Estimated active installs
The public count shows “500K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 2 days ago and a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, so the real count is still just under 600K.
Install history since 1 Dec 2021
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ mikelane9mo ago
This standalone PHP script delivers the classic Hello Dolly lyrics.It’s the classic Hello Dolly, one file, no plugin, pure tribute to the legend. <?php /** * Hello Dolly - Minimalist Standalone with Fade-in */ function hello_dolly_get_lyric() { $lyrics = "Hello, Dolly Well, hello, Dolly It's so nice to have you back where you belong You're lookin' swell, Dolly I can tell, Dolly You're still glowin', you're still crowin' You're still goin' strong We feel the room swayin' While the band's playin' One of your old favourite songs from way back when So, take her wrap, fellas Find her an empty lap, fella Dolly'll never go away again Hello, Dolly Well, hello, Dolly It's so nice to have you back where you belong You're lookin' swell, Dolly I can tell, Dolly You're still glowin', you're still crowin' You're still goin' strong We feel the room swayin' While the band's playin' One of your old favourite songs from way back when Golly, gee, fellas Find her a vacant knee, fellas Dolly'll never go away Dolly'll never go away Dolly'll never go away again"; $lyrics = explode("\n", $lyrics); return htmlspecialchars(trim($lyrics[mt_rand(0, count($lyrics) - 1)])); } $chosen = hello_dolly_get_lyric(); ?> <!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head> <meta charset="UTF-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"> <title>Hello Dolly</title> <style> body { display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; height: 100vh; margin: 0; background-color: #fafafa; font-family: serif; color: #333; } #dolly { font-size: 2rem; text-align: center; padding: 0 20px; opacity: 0; animation: fadeIn 2s ease-in forwards; } @keyframes fadeIn { from { opacity: 0; transform: translateY(10px); } to { opacity: 1; transform: translateY(0); } } .refresh-hint { position: fixed; bottom: 20px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 0.8rem; color: #999; text-decoration: none; } </style> </head> <body> <div id="dolly"> <?php echo $chosen; ?> </div> <a href="?" class="refresh-hint">Refresh for more lyrics</a> </body> </html>
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ shadowheezy1.0y ago
Hello Dolly might be simple, but it’s iconic. Every time I open my WordPress dashboard and see a lyric from Louis Armstrong’s “Hello, Dolly!” it’s a small reminder of WordPress’s roots — creativity, simplicity, and a touch of joy. It doesn’t do much, and that’s the beauty of it. It’s a little piece of nostalgia that connects every WordPress user to the spirit of open-source community and fun. Thanks for keeping this classic alive!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ manideep makkina1.3y ago
“Easy to install, worked perfectly. Helped me learn WordPress plugin structure
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ TapSuccess1.5y ago
In the past, I have deleted this plugin. Now I am learning how to make plugins…. I like it! Thanks, Matt
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ dimkiriakos2.2y ago
Even many people give a lot of hate to this plugin, they should not! This plugin is not something that it’s useful your site operations, but it’s a nice boilerplate for people that they want to start building plugins for WordPress. It shows that you don’t need to write so much code to customize something in your WordPress app. It introduces the wptexturize function the get_user_locale, the admin_notices action hook and the admin_head action hook too. Yes it’s not the mode elegant thing that comes. But it can be educational for beginners This topic was modified 1 year, 11 months ago by dimkiriakos.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ foreverozone2.3y ago
My WP account was hacked. Deleted. Found this was added to my website. Not funny to me. This topic was modified 2 years ago by foreverozone. This topic was modified 2 years ago by foreverozone. This topic was modified 2 years ago by foreverozone.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ duca224466882.5y ago
what a wonderful world!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ strahoten2.5y ago
naysayers cannot optimise web sites This topic was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by strahoten.
Read on wp.org ↗
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 61 languages, 57 at 90% or more
Plus 37 more locales with partial translations.
AI assistants
How it's measured →Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.
This plugin’s searches fall outside the topics measured so far. See the topics measured so far.
Readme readiness
0 of 8 pass · checked 1 Nov 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ! Says what it does Short description names no action; say what the plugin does for the site.
- ! Has a FAQ No FAQ section.
- ! FAQ asks real questions No FAQ to judge.
- ! Names who it is for Never says who the plugin is for or what they use it for.
- ! Names what it works with Names no plugin, service or platform it works with.
- ! Headings and lists 0 headings and 0 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ! Enough to quote 322 characters of description; under 1,000 there is little to quote.
- ! Tags match the text No tags set.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-11-01 600K+ → 500K+ down after 276 days in tier
- 2026-01-29 700K+ → 600K+ down after 707 days in tier
- 2024-02-22 800K+ → 700K+ down after 1482 days in tier
- 2020-02-01 900K+ → 800K+ down after 150 days in tier
- 2019-09-04 1M+ → 900K+ down after 611 days in tier
- 2018-01-01 100K+ → 1M+ up after 31 days in tier
- 2017-12-01 1M+ → 100K+ down
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Hello Dolly into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/hello-dolly" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Hello Dolly — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Hello Dolly: 500K+ active installs, 4.4★ (177 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-03. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/hello-dolly
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